I’m not completely disappointed by the warm weather in the forecast leading up to gun/deer season, just partially disappointed.

The warm weather mean there won’t be snow on the ground for opening day, which is always a bummer. The burst of excitement we hunters get when seeing fresh tracks in the white powder is always enjoyable. Of course, tracking a wounded deer is much easier in the snow than it is through fallen leaves as well. It seems it is not meant to be this year.

Unfortunately the warm weather also means I’m more apt to fall asleep, basking in the sunshine while sitting in my deer stand. As many of you know, napping is an endeavor, which I would pursue professionally if such a thing were possible. I have a sneaking suspicion I’m not alone in that category, regardless of what other hunters may tell you.

Granted, sitting on stand while shivering uncontrollably is not much fun, but no hunter has ever bagged a trophy whitetail buck while asleep . . . again, no matter what other hunters may tell you. Firing a rifle accurately while shivering is only marginally easier though, so perhaps we’ll call the warm weather a wash in this instance.

Bo Skornicka shot this buck Tuesday Nov. 22 in the town of Montpieler in Kewaunee County. It green scored at 183 7/8 inches with an inside spread of 23 inches and is believed to be a top five bucks ever shot in Kewaunee County. Submitted.

Pat Kolbe, of Oshkosh, shot this 12-point buck on Nov. 11, 2016, at the base of his tree stand in Vernon County. After switching sets mid-morning, Kolbe got to his stand and saw this buck chasing two other bucks, giving Kolbe a 35-yard shot. Submitted

Cheryl Esser, of Nekoosa, shot this 10-point buck in her third hunting season. It is 19 1/2" inside and 21" outside, with the highest of the 10 points standing 10 3/4" tall. It was about 200 pounds. Submitted

Weston Tousey, age 11, son of Chris and Jen Tousey, of Greenville, shot this buck, his first deer, during the youth hunt. The deer was harvested in Oconto County at his grandparents, John and Judie Sylvester's, farm. The buck is an 8 pointer with a 16" spread and weighed 210 lbs dressed. He had help tracking it from his mom, dad, Grandpa, sister Hannah, and brother Nathan. Submitted

Thankfully, it has not been downright hot, which would keep the majority of whitetails in our area from moving about until well after dark. It has been warm enough however to make their movements a bit more unpredictable than normal. We should be glad for the coming cold snap to begin this weekend as it may settle the deer movement into something of a more normal pattern. Hopefully it isn’t arriving too late.

As aggravating as the warm weather makes all these aspects of the upcoming deer season, it does bring with it a bit of redemption as well.

I have broken though the ice, plunging a boot into the February waters of a Northwoods lake and it was still not as cold as sitting on an outhouse toilet seat in November.

It is nearly impossible to do one’s business while at the same time worrying whether or not one’s posterior is going to freeze and fall off.

Is a less than frigid outhouse a positive enough item to offset the other headaches caused by the warm weather? Maybe not, though it is something of a silver lining. At the very least a trip to the facilities will no longer require me to spend four hours psyching myself up for the trip.

Doug Berdan is a columnist and outdoor humorist who also writes under the pseudonym Remington J. Crockett. He can be contacted via email at fanpage@rjcrockett.com